It was a small pueblo in the Sangre de Christo mountains of New Mexico where Juliana and Desiderio lived. They were artisans. Both had apprenticed with the great jeweler and sculptor Gabriel. Everyone in the Southwest and Northern Mexico knew of Gabriel. In Mexico City, he was known to the rich people who could afford his works. Even the peons and laborers and members of the tribes in the area knew of him. He was Gabriel el Maravilloso. Gabriel the Wonderful. And July and Desi had been his apprentices.

They had spent years in training with him when he suddenly passed away. Unfortunately, it was before they had completed their apprenticeships and so they were unable to truly say they had been given his blessing. But they took what they had learned and found this picturesque mountain pueblo close to other villages and Native American pueblos. There were charming sights and many other artisans working. They would fit in here they thought.

July and Desi had not grown up together. Both came from entirely different areas and had families that were quite different. But they drew close in friendship during their years together. So they decided to have a shop of their own. They worked well as a team and they worked well on their own. They were simply hard workers and knew that someday their efforts would be recognized and honored. 

They were both committed to their craft and no one seemed to think it odd that neither had any sort of romantic relationship over the years. They lived for their art and they loved their friendship spending most of their time away from the shop together in happiness and pleasure at each other's companionship. If either had ever had romantic feelings it was not spoken of in public.

They had been working sometime now and their shop was doing well enough. They made things like necklaces and earrings that were affordable and quite lovely. Many people came from villages and pueblos around the area to see what they had to offer. But what they really took pride in were their works of art in precious stones and metals. They used only the best materials. The looks of the patrons who came in to see what new things they had wrought pleased them. All who stopped by the shop were welcomed whether they could afford to purchase or not.

Some things they made were like galaxies of stars shining in the night, and some seemed to be dreamlike landscapes of places unknown to simple people, while others were wondrous animals and plants from around the world, speaking of climes and geography that the peasants of the village would never see but could admire and dream about from the works they saw in the shop.

Some of their most popular yet enigmatic were figurines of wondrously lovely human forms that July created on her own. They tricked the eye in such a way that one was unable to tell if they were male or female. When asked she would simply smile. Desi would laugh and just shake his head.

However, few could buy many of these things. So they spent some months and years sitting on the shelves where they were admired but not purchased. Although the people gave their approval and always praised July and Desi, the men and women who had the power and the money did not bother to purchase them.

One fateful day July became ill. Desi was trying to soothe her in her room with the aid of a servant girl. They had always had different rooms since first becoming students together. That had never changed. Now, with her becoming feverish and losing sense of reality, he called in the local doctor. This gentleman they were familiar with as it was a small enough town. But neither artist had ever needed to seek him out before. 

Soon enough, leaving her bedroom, the doctor took Desi aside to speak to him. 

"Please, doctor, tell me she will be alright?"

"Yes, yes. We are lucky that this illness will soon pass. It was a food poisoning that is common and is quite fearsome in appearance but fortunately, it often passes swiftly leaving little harm. Only a lasting weakness. You must take care to give... well..." he hesitated, "you must support your friend."

Then, suddenly, they heard the girl waiting upon July let out a shriek of surprise. 

"What is it, Isabella?" cried Desi.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean... I didn't know... I'm sorry."

And they saw that there on the bed was July, only half-dressed. Isabella had been trying to cool her mistress under doctor's orders and had removed some clothing. Swiftly Desi threw a quilt he found on the blanket chest over his friend hiding her from view. He ordered the others out, abruptly, remembering to thank the doctor. They must leave the room immediately. He asked both for secrecy.

"Sir," said the doctor, "I honor my oath. I speak not of this. Take care of your friend." He left as Desi stood holding Isabella by the arm.

"You have no reason to tell anyone, isn't that so, Isabella? You've worked for us for years. We love you and I do believe you love your mistress."

"Yes sir. I'm sorry. I'll say nothing, master." And with that, she went back in to soothe her mistress's fever. 

He remained with July for hours until she finally came out of the delirium and smiled at him.

From then on each day he was helping her to recover along with Isabella. Neither Desi nor July found anything wrong with him bathing her naked body. Not after the first shy reluctance had passed. They were old friends in a loving artistic kinship.

July was always beautiful to him with her small stature and diminutive body displaying rather small breasts. Now it was clear that she also had a member between her legs that was just as prominent as his own. And as he washed her body it would often enlarge and become engorged as did his own straining inside his trousers. But she just smiled as his hands glided over her body. 

It became impossible for him to hold himself back one day. Desi bent over and kissed July as her arms enfolded him. They kissed for a long time and then looked into each other's eyes, questioningly. Then, with the firmness of need, Desi caressed July's stiff member and slowly stroked it as she sighed with enormous relief. 

Desi took his time, pleased that he was pleasing his dear friend. Quickly releasing the hardness he stripped down and joined her on the bed, swiftly beginning to move his hand over the head of her dripping prick. His mouth went to the tiny hard nipples on delicate rounded breasts and she squealed as it tickled. This first time was like heaven.

It happened fast, the need had built up for so many years, and her cock began shooting out her spunk. Before he realized what he was doing his mouth went to it and he began sucking down the nectar. She had grasped his spear also and they joined as one with her lips tasting her first cock. He was doing so as well. 

He was thrusting himself into her throat, almost desperate for relief, to share the ecstasy of the moment with his lover and friend. Finally, she gagged but took his gusher of sperm willingly and lovingly as he cried out with fulfillment. She kept sucking until he was depleted. He licked her tender uncircumcised penis clean with a rather happy twinkle in his eyes. 

Although they spoke little about her body she was happy to explain one time that she had always known she was a girl and had socially transitioned to a female when in her teens with the support of a wonderful family. But her friends and acquaintances were not so kind. She left that environment and became a new person as Juliana.

At the time she became the apprentice of Gabriel she was at the point where hormones had given her the breasts she felt she needed. However, that was the end of her physical transitioning. That was all she wanted or needed to feel good about her own body. She had physically transitioned to a certain point and that was as far as she needed. For her, the pleasure she derived from her member was something she did not wish to leave behind. 

Their life together moved into a new more exciting phase.

Other artisans in the village seemed to prosper while our two did only as well as they could. Some so-called artisans offered up inferior objects that were honored by the rich and powerful when they were purchased for considerable sums. July and Desi did not understand it. And their working-class admirers did not have the knowledge or skills of interpretation to decide who was the best artist, but they always felt that the two friends were somehow producing a more pleasing effort.

This was a very rich area for artisans in the desert southwest and so there were festivals held almost monthly where prizes were given to the finest works. These brought in visitors from across both countries and even abroad. July and Desi always entered their children, as they called their art pieces, in the contests. They were judged by administrators and bureaucrats. They never won. Oh, once in a while, a token honor was bestowed. Or some discerning buyers from far away would purchase a fine piece. But never in the numbers and with the pomp and circumstance received by others. The ones that the insiders judged worthy.

A piece of work that July created did win an award one happy day for them. It was one of her favorite pieces that she had modeled somewhat after her own body. They celebrated with beer and dinner in a small cantina near their stucco villa. Upon arriving home they went up to the room they now shared.  

The two lovers disrobed slowly chatting about their evening and the work to be done the next day. But July paused and stood upright before her tall mirror and looked at herself. She was pleased when Desi came up behind her and placed his strong hands over her upright breasts and nuzzled the nape of her neck.

"Are you happy, little one?" asked Desi.

"Completely and utterly, Papi. Shall we play the way we do on special days?" whispered July. 

He nodded eagerly and they went into their bathing area. Their tub was large enough for them to play in. They both helped each other to take off their clothes and soon were naked. They were both pleased to see that each one had a twitching erection, ready for serious fun.

They turned the shower to a warm temperature. 

"Me first," giggled July as she leaned over grasping a rail on the shower wall. Desi spread lotion all over his prick and her little pucker then squatted down bending his knees and reaching around to grip her cock.  With his free hand, he guided his member between her rounded cheeks and pressed gently to begin filling her with his lust. 

"Please, Papi. I want you, my man. Fuck me." She pressed backward accepting him totally into her inner being and moaning with passion. And he fucked her, slowly at first, and then faster and deeper and harder as she began whimpering gently. He let her jerk off her own prick as he gripped her narrow hips and rammed her, squirming his toes and grunting.

Finally, he said, "Baby doll, don't come yet. Let me come first. You know why, little one," he begged. She laughed with glee then mewled like a kitten. 

Desi fed her his cock over and over making sure that she was feeling it and wanting it. And then he shivered and released his spunk deep inside her, pumping it in and finally slipping out, dripping his shrinking member onto the shower floor. They shuddered as one and sat on the edge of the tub holding each other and kissing, sharing saliva and licking, and nibbling.

At last, before they both became too tired, July whispered to him, "I get mine now, big fellow," and laughed.

They threw special waterproof padding on the porcelain floor and let the warm water flow over them as Desi got on his hands and knees, presenting his bum to his little friend. Her cock was rampant still, not having come yet as the water washed away the still dripping fluids from her bunghole.

With all the fluids surrounding them, her prick slipped easily into his ass, popping the bulbous head in and starting to fuck him as he had just fucked her. He didn't think he would come again, but he still stroked his member into stiffness once more. 

They were aware that Isabella had entered the room just recently and July had turned her head and smiled but didn't stop fucking Desi. The servant girl was more than a servant now. She had long since become a member of their small family.

She was naked as well with her apple sized titties jutting out as she bent towards her mistress keeping a finger running up her dripping slit and in her tender pussy. July sucked the tits presented but then became engrossed in fucking again. Isabella reached out and grabbed her master's hair and drew his face to her cunny. He began licking it ravenously as his bum was fucked by his little lover.

In just a few minutes July began jerking feverishly as she squirted her sticky juices. Desi squirmed and accepted while fingering and licking Isabella's clit and quim making sure she came as her mistress was coming. 

They shared hugs and kisses while they dried each other off. Then Desi and July went to bed nude as Isabella went into her room to dream about more fucking soon after getting the villa cleaned. 

This went on for years, and many honors were passed out to inferior creations, and purchases were made of lackluster works, as July and Desi were passed over. It would have been disheartening if it was not for the daily praise they received from the people. The simple people of their pueblo and from the villages and towns surrounding them in their mountain home. This was all they needed. Recognition from the rich and the powerful was nice if you wanted to be rich and powerful, too. They didn't. They wanted to be known for their work. And they were. By those who truly counted.

So they spent their lives producing works of art and smaller, less pretentious, works that the poor could often afford and hold dear. And with this and from this they derived their love and honor. These were the true joys that one should strive for. This they believed. Other less impressive and less talented people would always garner unearned praise. Always from those who loved to reward only their friends and those who would in turn praise them. This was how the world sometimes worked.

July and Desi did not care. Life went on. They did well enough to continue their work. That was all that was important.

And all three became closer. When Isabella and Desi and July finished work each day they dined together then listened to music and at days end they would often share beds. The sweet servant girl had grown into a middle-aged woman as her master and mistress became elderly.

She often remembered the first time she shared a bed with the two of them. Just a year or two after discovering July's secret she had crept into her mistress's sleeping chamber one night before going to bed. 

"Mistress, please tell me. Am I weird because I have thoughts of doing naughty things with both boys and girls?" she asked shyly and with crimson cheeks.

"Sweet girl, you have long since decided that I, your mistress, am not a strange creature, is this not so? If it harms no one the Lord and Mother Mary won't mind. Believe that child and you will be happy in life." July reached and drew her close.

"Mistress, is it bad that I feel tingling in my body when you touch me this way?"

Without answering with words July kissed the girl and caressed her breasts, causing the nipples to harden and extend out. Isabella giggled and returned the kiss with pleasure. July took the girl's hand and pressed it to her stiffening member letting her know how much she was aroused by the girl's presence and body.

This was Isabella's first time with a woman. She had not been a virgin for some time but had felt less than successful pleasure with the few boys and men who had been lucky enough to taste her charms. This was the time to savor the joy a special kind of lady might give her. Desi was still working on a special commission in the shop. It was needed within the week. The women were alone.

July was in a silk peignoir while Isabella wore a long nightgown of simple cotton. Both were scented naturally and they laid themselves together on the coverlet of the bed. Pulling the nightie upward July exposed the curvaceous body of the servant girl. She knelt and spread the muscular legs apart lifting the knees up and out to gain access to the damp slit, exposing it fully to her cock that was slowly entering the vulva.

"Good, dear girl? This is what you want?"

"Yes, please, yes, mistress. Yes, please fuck me. Holy Mother of God it is what I want now." 

And July thrust her hips forward and buried her prick into the waiting juicy vessel of love and lust. The rhythm was steady and deep. It was the way that July knew it should be. She was a woman after all. Hitting all the best places, the best spots. Fucking the sweet girl with the prick she still loved to feel and enjoy.

Isabella was thoroughly screwed that night, and many more nights, by her mistress and her master. They all shared a special bond now. They grew old together and during those years Isabella apprenticed with two artists. A master and a mistress of the arts. And experts at love as well. 

The two artisans died within days of each other. They had been lovers. But even greater they had always been friends of the soul. And their souls were united in death. When the word was passed to the people in the pueblo they, in turn, passed it to their friends and relatives all around the mountains and valleys of their province. It was as if a thunderbolt had struck.

The processions through the streets, with the bodies of Juliana and Desiderio, the Artists, took all day. Thousands had come. Even the rich landowners, and the bureaucrats, and the politicians. And also, the other artisans in the pueblo came. They had given little honor to the Artists in their lifetimes. The people shunned them now. The honor that July and Desi received was the love of simple people, with simple tastes, who knew greatness when it appeared. And they mourned their loss.

Isabella inherited the shop and the works of art that became much more valuable now that the artists had died.

The moral of the story is simple. Do your best. Grieve not for the loss of glory. If you are truly talented and hardworking you will be appreciated in life. And admired in death by loving friends who will honor your efforts.

And finally, most importantly, be who you are. 

*****